After being picked up by army, Maqbool’s Son and Wife couldn’t see his face one last time

On 11th July 1998, Mohamad Maqbool Mir of Warpora Pattan in Kashmir was picked up by Indian Forces and killed later on. Maqbool was accused of possessing arms by the army as his brother, who had been killed some five years ago in an encounter, was associated with a Kashmiri militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen. Maqbool was tortured brutally by the army and also paraded in his locality for some days before his family received the news of his death. While he was in the custody of army, his family too was hounded by the Indian armed forces, compelling them to flee from their home. His son and wife were unable to see his face before his burial fearing they might take them away too as they also were being previously sought by the army.

This Ground Report is part of a series of videos produced for the International Peoples Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Indian-Administered Kashmir (IPTK) and Association of Parents of Disappeared persons (APDP) to accompany their report, “Structures of Violence: the Indian State in Jammu and Kashmir” which identifies the structures, forms and tactics of violence of the Indian State in Jammu and Kashmir.

KashmirUnheard is a project of Video Volunteers in which Kashmiri youth produce and share stories of concern to them. More info: www.kashmirunheard.org